NJPW: 5 Takeaways from G1 Special Event in San Francisco

4. The Bullet Club is Fine (Sort of)

The end of the Cody vs. Kenny Omega match saw Omega reign supreme in the war of the Bullet Club. Omega made a definitive statement that he is, without question, the leader of the Bullet Club. The IWGP Heavyweight Champion made his first successful title defense in what was a very good match. While not as good as the previous two matches, I would say it was pretty close.

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After the match, Kenny helped Cody to his feet and shook his hand, showing respect. Omega proved to a real babyface hero because he was still willing to forgive Cody after everything that Cody had done to him. The lies, the attempts to turn Kenny’s friends against him, and everything else, still didn’t stop Omega from forgiving his Bullet Club brethren.

Omega cut a promo after the match, calling Cody a valiant fighter who deserved respect for his efforts. It seemed that all was well in the Bullet Club, as Cody and Kenny had a small reconciliation, and everyone seemed to be on the same page for the first time in a very long time. However, that did not last very long, as Haku, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa came out to greet Omega and The Young Bucks.

After initially looking like they were going to congratulate Omega on his win, soon thereafter they attacked. The Tongans (now calling themselves the Bullet Club Firing Squad) beat all three men down without mercy. Hangman Page and Marty Scurll tried to make the save, only to get beaten down too. The same happened for Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi. Finally, limping own the aisle, Cody walked to the ring with anger in his eyes. He grabbed a chair and he looked like he was going to hit Kenny with it. However, Cody made the save and attacked the Tongans. This didn’t last long, as the weakened Cody was outnumbered and beaten down too.

Haku picked up Omega and hit a spike piledriver onto the chair, leaving the leader of the Bullet Club in a heap on the mat. This angle was insane, and absolutely fantastic. There are a lot of questions coming out of it, but seeing Haku beat people up is fun. Clearly, this is what Mark Cuban meant when he praised NJPW’s storytelling.

5. Kenny and Cody Reunite

One of the most striking things that happened on the show took place after The Firing Squad left the ring. Cody Rhodes stood up and pulled Kenny to his feet, and both men hugged. You could see real emotion in Cody’s eyes as the two men finally made peace with each other. This stage of the journey has seemed to end in friendship again.

After recovering from the attack, every member of the Bullet Club (minus Fale and Taiji Ishimori)  hugged. It seems like Bullet Club Elite is indeed fine. Omega, the Young Bucks, Cody, Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, Chase Owens, and Yujiro Takahashi all left the ring together as one group. It seems that what finished and cemented the reunification of The Bullet Club was the attack by the Tongans.

Next: Injury Update on Hiromu Takahashi

What does all this mean for the Bullet Club? Where does Bad Luck Fale & Taiji Ishimori stand on this event? Time will tell. My guess is that Fale and Ishimori will both be members of the Firing Squad, as Tama Tonga was the one that brought Ishimori to NJPW. Regardless, this was a huge angle to close an absolutely fantastic show.